Motion detection systems are known for detecting the presence of a person or vehicle to a device such as a parking gate. One type of system that utilizes the rate of change in frequency of a signal from an oscillation from a continuous wave output is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,039 to Simon. The system utilizes an oscillator which produces a wave in a preset frequency range which is delivered to a capacitive plate or sensor. The sensor is mounted to a device such as a parking gate. The sensor is in the form of a coaxial cable which functions as one plate of a capacitor. The cable is attached by clips to the gate. When the sensor nears conductive objects, the frequency of the preset signal changes. An error signal is generated if the rate of change in frequency exceeds a predetermined rate. The error signal is sent to a control unit which emits a signal to stop the movement of the gate.
However, presently known systems have practical limitations when placed in certain environments. Noise, environment and movement of the sensor can limit the effectiveness of the system. It is thus an object of the invention to provide a presence sensing system which may be simply and easily used in a wide range of applications.